


Of Pancakes and Pumpkins

by Blueskylover



Series: Eiji is Basically a Housewife [1]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, During Canon, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Halloween, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romance, no pain here, only happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-07-21 00:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16149044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueskylover/pseuds/Blueskylover
Summary: In the fifth avenue apartment, Eiji befriends some housewives, makes terrible pancakes, buys lots of pumpkins, and has some realizations about Ash.





	1. Part One

 

 

Mornings were Eiji's favorite time of day. He enjoyed watching the sun rise over the sleepy city. It made New York City seem almost peaceful. 

He was always amused by Ash fumbling to turn off his phone alarm and then stumbling out of bed, depending on the day he apologized for waking him, even though he rarely does. The blond would grumble while grabbing his glasses and his electronics off the table before heading into the other room. After a few minutes of feigning sleep, Eiji would eventually give up and join him.

It took a few days to learn how to use the coffee pot. He didn't quite understand how these single use pods were supposed to be better for the environment, especially considering Ash drank several cups a day.  

"The world is going to shit anyways, what're a few more pieces of plastic gonna hurt," the blond grumbled while flicking through articles on the tablet. Eiji watched in awe as three of the phones continually buzzed. He thought one cell phone was too much, but Ash said the extra devices were burner phones. _Who would want to burn a phone, weren't they expensive?_  

"Hey old and wise one, I think your earth killing coffee is getting cold." Ash gave him his usual mischievous, yet amused look. 

The brunette huffed in response and gripped his mug, which had gotten cold. _He was older and probably wiser in some things_ , Eiji thought to himself as he wandered into the nearby pantry. 

The size of things in America was truly astounding; he always felt small in the large pantry, where most of the shelves towered over his head. He had already made several trips to the supermarket, but only one shelf was filled. Now, did he have the taste for miso soup or fish? 

As he was grabbing ingredients, he felt someone reach out and touch his shoulder. He yelped and dropped the load in his arms, quickly turning around to face the blond standing directly behind him. With both of them standing in the pantry, the large room suddenly felt small. "A-ash don't scare me like that," his voice a higher pitch than he would like it to be. 

The blond looked slightly apologetic as he adjusted his glasses. "Eiji I have to talk to you about something." 

Eiji felt his body go cold. All the previous warmth from their proximity was gone. This was it, Ash was finally going to send him away or tell him that he didn't need him anymore. 

Words started to spill out of his mouth before he could think, "Ash please don't-" 

"I was thinking we could skip the typical Japanese breakfast today." 

"What?" Eiji let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Fear was suddenly replaced with anger, _how could Ash be so serious for asking a simple question?_

"Eiji, I know you have a personal connection to these Japanese breakfasts and I knew you would be upset-" 

"Stupid Ash," the brunette sighed and punched the other boy's shoulder, "what would you like me to make?" 

... 

Eiji had never made a pancake before, and he rarely ate them in the first place. He definitely had never eaten one for breakfast, but apparently Ash enjoyed them.

Grabbing his phone he typed 'pancake' into the search engine. His eyes widened at the first result, how to make a pancake in a rice cooker. He knew how to use a rice cooker, maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he thought! 

Mixing the ingredients was easy enough, but Ash gave him a look when he started to pour the batter into the rice cooker.

"Eiji I don't know how you usually eat pancakes, but we usually cook them on the stove." 

"Do not worry this recipe was one of the first results online," he smiled. 

For a moment it looked like Ash wanted to say something else, but he shook his head and went back to reading on the tablet. 

While he was waiting for the rice cooker to go off, Eiji decided to cut some fruit. _The article did say to garnish with fruit, after all._ However, the only thing he could find was an apple. "I guess this will have to do," he muttered to himself. 

Since the article didn't say how to cut the apple, he decided to shape it how he usually did for his sister at home. Maneuvering the knife carefully, he cut the apple into slices and shaved the peels into two ears. _These American breakfasts are hard; they do this every day?_

Eiji was pulled out of his thoughts by the ding of the rice cooker. He lifted the lid and grimaced. The pancake was unusually large, but Eiji knew Americans like big things. 

He used the spatula to pull the pancake out of the cooker and onto the plate and put the apples around it. The brunette smiled, It didn't look too bad for his first American breakfast.  

...

"I really have no idea what to say this time," Ash said as he looked down at the plate in front of him. The blond poked the pancake as if he was inspecting it. 

"What is the problem, it looks like it does online," Eiji frowned. 

"Is this how you eat pancakes in Japan?" 

"We don't eat pancakes except for a dessert." 

"Well that explains it, then." The blond laughed as he typed on his phone. 

Eiji didn't understand what was wrong, it turned out looking how it did on the web article. He tried his best and it only made Ash upset. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, he would definitely get kicked out now. 

"Mm it may look weird, but it tastes good," Ash said through a mouth of food. "I would never have thought to eat apples with pancakes, but it strangely works." 

"It.. does?" 

"And these apples are interesting, are they supposed to be something?" 

The brunette was still trying to collect his thoughts, which was difficult when Ash was looking at him like that. There was warmth in his eyes, starkly different from the cold glares he would shoot his enemies. 

"Um, well they are supposed to look like rabbits," Eiji scratched his chin, "I make them that way for my sister." 

They spent the rest of the meal talking about little things, like his sister's love for rabbits or Griffin's old habit of cutting Ash's hotdogs into spiders to get his brother to eat them. Eiji felt warm, but he knew it wasn't from the coffee he was drinking, as it had gone cold once again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is curious about the [ pancakes ](https://www.buzzfeed.com/samimain/beautiful-rice-cooker-pancakes) Eiji made 
> 
> My Tumblr is [ queensgrove ](http://queensgrove.tumblr.com/) if anyone wants to come and yell about Banana Fish with me!! 
> 
> Also shameless plug - go watch my friend's [ Ash video ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9r7GMtOX4Q) you will not regret it


	2. Part Two

 

“I’m heading out,” Ash announced as he pulled on his jacket. 

Eiji looked up from the grocery list he was making and bit his lip. He knew wherever the blond was going; it included some type of danger. “Be careful, Ash.” 

“I’ll do my best,” Ash let out a dry laugh, “and you try not to draw too much attention or make anyone suspicious.” 

The brunette deadpanned, _everything about this situation would make someone suspicious_. Before he had a chance to reply, Ash was already in the doorway. 

“Oh we need flour, I noticed most of it ended up in the pancake,” Ash grinned mischievously before shutting the door. 

“That Ash,” Eiji muttered while clenching his jaw, “he could at least ask me nicely.” After a moment of sulking, he reluctantly scribbled the word for flour in messy kanji onto the list. 

*** 

After standing by his tripod setup by the window for few hours, the brunette let out a sigh. He only saw enough people to make him look through his viewfinder twice, but both of those times the group continued walking past Goldzine’s building. His picture taking job was proving to be quite boring today, so he decided that it would be a good time to take a break. 

Wandering out of the office, Eiji noticed the grocery list from earlier sitting on the counter. There weren’t too many things listed, so he could probably be back in half an hour or so. He grabbed the piece of paper along with his keys and then walked outside of the apartment, double checking that the door was locked. 

Their floor, the tenth, was one of the larger ones, he remembers Ash explaining. They only had one neighbor, 102 across the hall. Both boys had seen their neighbor in passing, and Eiji thought they seemed nice.

After pressing the large button to call the elevator, he took a step back and watched the digits on the screen slowly increase. The large diffuser on the hallway table spelled of grapefruit and bergamot. It made their apartment seem more like a luxury hotel as opposed to a place where people lived permanently. _How could Ash afford a place like this again?_

The ding of the elevator door pulled Eiji out of his thoughts. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the lift was empty; he was not as skilled as Ash at coming up with lies to tell the other residents on the spot.

If the hallway looked like a hotel, the brunette was always in awe when the doors opened to the lobby. He had never been inside a five-star hotel before, but they must look similar to this. A giant chandelier hung above the large room, and the floors were so polished that the sheen from the crystals reflected in the tiles. In the center sat a huge floral arrangement, which was composed of the largest sunflowers he had ever seen.

Eiji waved to the security guard as he walked past by the large desk. The supermarket was down the long hallway past the gym. He stopped in front of the large window outside the market. October had clearly arrived, as evidenced by the giant array of pumpkins that were on display, and they were surrounded by a plethora of pumpkin products. Pumpkins were not very popular in Japan, especially in food flavorings, so Eiji decided to skip looking at the display for today.  

The brunette pulled the list out of his pocket and grabbed a basket. He laughed dryly at the first item he had written, which was flour. _It wasn't his fault the pancake recipe had called for almost three cups of flour_. Turning the list over, he saw Ash had decided to add to it. The English letters stood out starkly against the kanji characters. _'Don't know if you wrote shampoo on here.'_ Eiji smiled in amusement; he wondered how that boy went through an entire bottle of shampoo in the week and a half they had been living here. 

Deciding to get the flour out of the way first, he walked to the section of the store where he knew the baking supplies were at. However, as soon as he stepped foot in the aisle, he felt a chill go down his spine. Two middle-aged women looked up from their conversation to stare at him, then quickly ducked their heads to whisper to one another. 

_Why do they have to be standing by the flour_ , Eiji thought despairingly. His mind then went to Ash; he wouldn't be afraid in this situation. All that he had to do was grab the flour and walk away, after all. Steeling his nerves, the brunette walked over to the center of the aisle. 

Trying to focus all of his attention on the shelf was proving to be quite difficult when he could feel both sets of eyes on him.

"Well isn't it the new face," Eiji turned and flinched at the sight of the two ladies suddenly standing right next to him. 

"Sorry to frighten you, sweetie, we don't get new neighbors very often and wanted to introduce ourselves," the woman put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I'm Leslie Owens, and I live in the unit below you. To my right is Denise Coleman, I'm sure you have seen each other since she lives down the hall." 

"Oh!" Eiji sighed in relief; it was just the neighbors. "It is very nice to meet you," the brunette bowed, "my name is Eiji Okumura." 

"Wow, Leslie look how polite the boy is," the woman who lived next door chuckled to her friend. "Your accent is adorable dear, where are you from?" 

Eiji's blood went cold, _he barely said anything to these women, and they already knew he was a foreigner?_ He crossed his fingers and hoped Ash would forgive him for this. 

"I am from Japan-" 

"Japan! How delightful. Leslie do you remember how Andrew went on that Asia backpacking trip with his friends a few summers ago.." 

Soon enough, the ladies were once again immersed in their own conversation, so Eiji figured this would be a good time to grab the flour and escape. However, before he had a chance to take a step away, the women decided to engage him in their chatter. 

“Speaking of, Eiji dear I always see you with that handsome blond boy.” Mrs. Coleman turned to her friend and they exchanged a mischievous look, “is he your fiancé?”

“F-fiance?” Eiji spluttered, nearly dropping his grocery basket.

“Oh no need to be modest honey, we oldies know times are changing,” the woman waved her hand, “I’ve seen the way you look at each other, and it is quite obvious.” 

Mrs. Owens clutched the fabric on her shirt above her heart, “it’s young love, Denise.”

Eiji wished he could melt into the floor. _How could these women see right through him even though they just met? And would it draw more suspicion if he said they weren’t engaged?_

“Ah yes...we are,” he scratched his cheek sheepishly. _Ash was going to kill him!_

“I knew it! I remember when Mark and I were like that,” Mrs. Owens sighed, a faraway look in her eyes. 

“I think we have interrogated the poor boy enough, look he’s all red.” Mrs. Coleman shot him a sympathetic smile, “I think we will leave you to your shopping, but make sure to stop by for tea soon!”

The two women bid him farewell and continued off further in the store. A few minutes passed slowly with Eiji rooted in the same spot. He stared at the polished linoleum tiles, his ears still burning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two weeks without a new BF episode have been rough, hope the episode today isn't too painful!
> 
> Edit: IT WAS PAINFUL POOR ASH


	3. Part Three

 

 

A couple of days later, Eiji went over to Mrs. Coleman’s apartment for tea. Ash had laughed at him for over-analyzing what to bring. "Just don’t make pancakes and you will be fine,” he snickered, amusement in his green eyes. That earned him a pillow thrown at his face.  

Deciding to not have another cooking disaster, he settled on just bringing some cut up fruit.

After Ash left for the day, reminding him _again_ not to draw any suspicion, Eiji decided to go next door for a quick cup of tea before starting his surveillance job for the day.

Mrs. Coleman opened the door with a big smile on her face, “Eiji dear, come on in!” She ushered him into the large eat-in kitchen. It seemed that the Colemans had been living there for a long time, floral arrangements were tucked in the windowsills, and children’s drawings littered the front of the refrigerator. Framed pictures of Mrs. Coleman with her family members and friends covered a section of the wall. A bunch of decorations were sitting on the granite countertop. 

“Sorry for the mess, I will be putting the Halloween decorations up soon,” she laughed, “it is the children’s favorite holiday.” 

She moved to open up a cabinet stocked with an assortment of teas and coffee boxes. Putting a finger on her lips, she hummed, “I think Earl Grey would be good with fruit, Eiji what would you like?” 

“Do you have green tea?”

“Of course, dear. Would you like milk?” 

Eiji scrunched his nose, _who drinks green tea with milk?_

Mrs. Coleman chuckled, “I will take that as a no. Let me just get the kettle going.” 

She flicked the switch on a machine similar to their coffee pot and gestured for him to sit down at the kitchen table, “now dear I can’t have my guests standing in the doorway.”

Eiji sat down at the large, round table. He set down the bowl of fruit, which suddenly looked small atop the enormous tabletop. _Why were American things so large?_

Before he could get too deep into his thoughts, Mrs. Coleman returned with two mugs and some tiny metal forks. She took a seat in the chair beside his, which overlooked the window. Considering they were on the opposite side of the building, the New York skyline wasn’t blocked by Goldzine’s property, so there was a nice view.

“I never will get tired of this view,” Mrs. Coleman hummed as she took a sip from her tea. 

The brunette nodded in agreement and stirred his tea. It hadn’t quite finished seeping yet. 

“So what brought you to the city, dear?”

Eiji froze, he wasn’t expecting questions this quickly. “I-uh am studying under someone?” _It wasn’t exactly a lie._

“Oh how lovely, an exchange program? At New York University, right?”  

“Ah yes,” Eiji scratched his cheek.

“What are you studying?” 

“Um.. photography?” he hoped that was a program offered at that University. 

Mrs. Coleman looked at him strangely for a second, then proceeded to laugh. “Oh I see, you are quick to nab someone who could put a roof over your head, then.” 

He furrowed his brows in confusion, Eiji didn’t really know what she meant by that. 

“Your fiancé, what is his name again? He must be working someplace important to be able to afford an apartment in this building.” 

_Yeah working as a gang boss._  

“Ash he..” Eiji faltered, _was he supposed to reveal Ash's real name?_ He quickly wracked his brain for their supposed cover story. “His father owns the apartment and is letting us live there while he is away.” 

“Edward Winston, right?” 

“Huh?” 

“Oh sorry dear, I was curious and spoke to the realtor. I asked who purchased the apartment, and that is the name she gave me,” Mrs. Coleman gave him a guilty smile. 

“Ah-yes that is him.”

“Well, what does he do for a living, then?”

“Um,” Eiji didn’t have a prepared answer, so he said the first thing that came into to his head, “he is an international journalist who travels for work a lot.” 

Mrs. Coleman took a long sip from her tea, “Mark, my husband, travels for work all the time too.” A moment of silence passed before she turned to him, “I bet Ash is happy you are there for him Eiji.”

Eiji flushed and looked down at his tea. This woman seemed to look right through him at times. 

“Anyways,” she quickly changed her tone and grabbed some of the fruit, “how did you and Ash meet?”

He remembered being transfixed by the young American gang leader on first sight. A lot has happened since then, making the month they have known each other feel like several. “I-uh,” Eiji shook his head, “we met at a bar.” 

“Really? Mark and I met a bar too! One of my girlfriends and I went there for singles night..” 

Eiji half listened as she continued her story. Part of him felt awful for lying to this poor woman, but he had to lie to protect Ash. 

“You are thinking about him aren’t you?” Mrs. Coleman looked at him slyly as she took a drink from her cup. “I remember those times,” she sighed dramatically, “all you can think about is each other.”

He felt his ears start to burn, and his thoughts start to race, _can she minds after all?_ _Was Ash really thinking about him right now?_

“I bet you are wondering if he is actually thinking about you, but I can tell you he is.” Mrs. Coleman laughed as she finished her tea and stood up. “I was thinking it’s about time for a glass of wine, you don’t mind sauvignon blanc, right?” 

_Wine?! It wasn’t even noon!_ “I-uh am only nineteen.”

“Nineteen! Goodness, I thought you were younger.” 

_Wait... younger??_

“Don’t worry dear, I won’t tell Edward,” Mrs. Coleman winked, “besides might as well gain the weight now. I think Ash will still love you even if you put on a pound or two, it’s after the wedding you have to worry about.” 

_L-love him?_ All of a sudden the room felt a thousand degrees warmer. He stared at his foggy reflection in his cup of tea. His fingers started to ache from how tightly he was gripping the cup.  

His lack of answer apparently sufficed for the woman because she pulled out two wine glasses from the cabinet. 

“Mark brought this back from Tuscany on his last trip, he had to bribe the customs agent to even get it through,” she uncorked the wine and began to pour it into the decanter.  

The click of the glass against the wooden table pulled Eiji out of his trance. _Maybe he did need a drink._

Looking down at his glass, it was partially filled, starkly different from Mrs. Coleman’s cup which was almost full. 

“A glass of wine a day is good for you; I heard Doctor Oz talking about it on television.” 

Eiji had no idea who this Doctor Oz person was. He had never drunk wine before, the only alcohol he ever had was sake at one of his father’s business events and the rum and coke at the bar a month ago.

As he was about to take a sip, Mrs. Coleman stopped him. “Wait, dear, you are going to drink the wine without smelling it first?” 

“Smelling it?” 

“Of course, it opens up your palette,” she laughed, “I suppose you won’t be serving wine at your wedding.” 

Eiji watched in awe as the woman took a big sniff of her wine and began to gulp it down. He had never seen anyone drink any kind of alcohol this fast before. He took a wary smell of the wine before taking a sip. It smelled like grapes. 

“Can you taste the citrus undertones, it’s simply wonderful. Mark knows the owners of the vineyard.” 

“Yeah,” Eiji grimaced, it didn’t taste bad, it just tasted like grapes.

“You must bring Ash with you next time, Leslie and I am dying to meet him. He is such a handsome boy.”

Eiji laughed dryly as he took another sip of the wine, he was sure Ash could handle this whole situation better than he was. “I will let him know.” 

“You two do have some strange guests over, Mark and I sometimes see them coming and going at strange hours.” 

“Oh um,” he laughed nervously, “they are friends of Ash.”

“Really?” The woman looked astounded, and for a moment it seemed she wanted to say more, but she chose to take another sip from her drink. 

The two continued to talk late into the afternoon, the fruit bowl left half-eaten on the other end of the table. 

***

When Eiji got home he felt happy and warm. Mrs. Coleman had given him some baked goods to take back since he had never eaten many American sweets before. 

He took a quick look out of the office window, once again seeing the front of Goldzine’s building completely empty. Letting out a sigh, he figured that he could get a quick nap in before he had to cook something for himself. The couch in the room did look very enticing. 

He sat down with a book from the shelf, intending to at least read some of it, but he felt himself quickly drifting off. 

When Eiji woke up, it was already dark outside. 

“Eiji? Where are you?” 

Ash’s voice was laced with worry, but he felt too tired to yell out to him. The blond would find him eventually. 

A minute later, the boy in question ran into the room, he looked frantic. “Eiji! Why are you in here?”

“Mm is comfy?” the brunette mumbled as he shifted on the couch.

Ash came and kneeled uncomfortably close, the worry still clear in his expression. A look of concern furrowed his brow, and for a second it seemed like he wanted to reach out and touch him.

“I-“ he started then suddenly stopped, “wait, are you drunk right now?”

“Psh no, Ash I only had wine.”

His concerned expression quickly changed to one of disbelief, “Eiji you know wine drunk still means you are drunk, right?”

“Mrs. Coleman said wine a day is good.”

A second of silence passed before Ash began to laugh and sat down on the couch in the small space next to him. Eiji smiled, he rarely got to see the blond laugh so freely.

“Our neighbor said that to you? If she told you the sky was red would you believe her?” 

“Yes I think so,” Eiji chuckled as Ash lightly hit him with one of the nearby pillows. 

“I thought you were supposed to be old and wise.”

“I am!” 

“Well if you are so wise, you should know you should eat and drink something before passing out drunk on the couch.” 

“Mhm maybe I was tired of waiting for you to get back,” Eiji regretted the words as soon as he said them. He knew what Ash was doing was important to keep them both safe. 

There was a long moment where neither of them said a word. 

“I am here now,” Ash broke the silence. “Eiji I know you hate being cooped up here and if you want to go back to Japan-“ 

“No, Ash,” Eiji sat up quickly, “I want to be here with you."

The blond sighed, “if you want to stay here we better get you sobered up.”

“Okay, but can I ask one thing?”

“Eiji, I can't-“ Ash began.

“Will you come with me to Mrs. Coleman’s one afternoon?” the brunette looked his friend in the eyes, which seemed to soften as a small smile crept across his face. “Hm, okay.”

“Really?” the brunette’s face seemed to immediately light up at his response.

“Yeah, I’ll just have the guys scope out without me for a day.”

Eiji was smiling so wide he felt his face start to hurt. _He was going to spend an entire day with Ash!_

“C’mon I’ll get you some bread or something,” Ash stretched as he got off the couch and walked to the doorway. 

“Okay!” Eiji followed him into the kitchen, not knowing if the flush on the cheeks was from the alcohol anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember kids, wine drunk is still drunk!


	4. Part Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thursday! Hope this longer chapter heals your heart from the episode :)

Ash's day off came quicker than Eiji expected. He thought it would be in a week or maybe two, but a couple of days later the blond came home looking exhausted. 

It was approaching two in the morning when he stumbled through the front door. 

"Welcome home!" Eiji looked up from studying American recipes on the tablet to smile at his friend.

"I'm surprised you are still awake." 

"I am trying to understand American sweets. Why is it called a _short_ cake when it is the same size as other cakes?" 

"I don't know, do I look like Martha Stewart to you?" 

_Who is Martha Stewart?_

“Well, I guess we both went to jail," Ash sighed and slid into the nearby chair, gesturing for the brunette to pass the tablet. He squinted at the screen as he scrolled through the article. 

Eiji stifled a laugh, how was it possible for someone to perfectly shoot a target from yards away, but could barely even read a tablet without glasses?

"I think it is because of the texture.. why are you laughing?" 

 _Ash's pout was adorable_. "You call me the old man, but someone cannot read a screen without their glasses." 

The blond shot him an angry glare, it took a second for him to think of a response. "I think I'll be the one laughing when you go and get Glaucoma in a few years." 

_Glaucoma? Was that like the flu or something?_

The blond pitched the bridge of his nose and groaned, "I'm too tired for this tonight.” 

He sat up from his seat and rubbed his eyes, “I told the guys to cover for me tomorrow so I can sleep in for once.” 

“Really?” Eiji gleefully jumped up and resisted the urge to pull the blond into a hug.

"Yeah," Ash's expression softened, "we can try to make that shortcake if you want." 

"I would love to!" 

*** 

Eiji opened his eyes to see small streaks of sunlight streaming in through the window. Turning his head to his left, he had to hold back a gasp. Ash's hair, the only thing visible above the blanket, was illuminated by the sunrise, making the blond locks look golden. The steady rise and fall of his back meant he was still soundly asleep. 

The entire sight had Eiji breathless, and he wished this simple moment could last forever. 

Trying to be as quiet as possible, not to wake Ash, he tiptoed out of the room and into the kitchen. He turned on the tablet which had been left out the night before. Thankfully the recipe Ash had chosen was still up since he was now banned from selecting recipes. 

Bringing the tablet into the large pantry, Eiji started to gather the ingredients. He brought the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into the kitchen. He then turned to get the butter from the fridge.

"Up already?" Ash was standing in the bedroom doorway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, making the glasses rise on his nose. 

"Ash! You should go back into bed." 

"And let you make this cake by yourself? I don't want another pancake situation," there was a mischevious look in the blond's eyes.  

Eiji whined but said nothing else as his friend joined him in the kitchen. 

“I think you should work on beating the eggs while I start to whisk this stuff together,” he said while pulling bowls and some utensils from the upper cabinet. 

Taking a glass bowl, Eiji went to an empty space on the counter and began to hit the eggshell on the rim. 

“Why are you doing it like that,” Ash gave him a look, “hit it on the counter, so there is less of a chance of getting the shell.” 

“As the older and wiser one I think I _know_ how to open an egg, Ash,” he scoffed as he continued to crack the egg and separate it over the bowl. 

“If you know what you are doing then why can I see a part of the shell in the bowl from all the way over here,” the blond smirked in satisfaction. 

“I-it is because you made me lose my focus!"

“Alright old man, try paying more attention next time,” Ash couldn’t help but laugh. 

*** 

After the batter had been successfully made and put in the oven, Eiji was put on watch duty, since he _'couldn’t even crack an egg properly.'_  
    
The brunette pouted, _he could crack an egg, but nothing seemed easy when Ash was watching_.

Across the kitchen, Ash was slicing strawberries for the top of the cake. There was a peaceful silence between the two of them, the only sound coming from the knife hitting the wooden cutting board. 

“Griff used to always bake cakes and stuff,” it was barely above a whisper. For a moment, Eiji wondered if he should respond. 

“He would always let me mix the dough because he said I was stronger than him,” the blond stopped cutting and stared at the counter, a faraway look in his eyes. 

“Ash-“

“I haven't done this in a while but... it was nice,” he looked over and smiled. 

It may have been because of the oven, but Eiji's whole body suddenly felt warm. It wasn’t very often that Ash’s smile reached his eyes. As he opened his mouth to respond, the timer for the oven began beeping.

“Alright let’s see if you burnt this cake.” 

_Argh, that Ash! How could he make him feel happy and then annoyed in a split second!_

*** 

Eiji sat on the kitchen stool, staring at the short cake, which was now topped with whipped cream and strawberries. Its smell was tempting him to sneak a bite. He had been waiting on Ash for almost thirty minutes now, _what was taking him so long?_

As he reached out to grab a strawberry, he heard the bathroom door open, so he quickly brought his hand back to his lap. 

“I thought we agreed that was for the neighbors.”

 _Oh no he had been caught red-handed._ He turned to his friend with an excuse ready, but all the words seemed to fade from his mind when he saw his friend’s appearance. 

Ash had traded his usual white t-shirt and ripped jeans ensemble for a pair of pressed khakis with a blue button-down top covered with a maroon cotton sweater. His usually messy blond hair was actually styled, and he was still wearing his glasses.

Eiji’s throat suddenly felt really dry. _Where did he even get those clothes?_

“You are ready to go, right?” 

 _Was he?_ He suddenly felt really underdressed in his cardigan and dark jeans. 

The blond started transferring the cake from the pan onto a plate, “do you think we should save some or just bring the whole thing?” 

“I-I um Ash,” Eiji felt like there was a rock lodged in his throat, “there is something you need to know.” 

Ash continued to wipe the plate of crumbs, “what is it?” 

Biting the inside of his lip, “well I may have told them something..”

“What did you tell them,” the blond stopped mid-motion and stared at him. 

“Uh well nothing terrible,” his palms were sweating as he rubbed them against his jeans, “I may have said we were engaged.”

“Oh, okay,” Ash nodded and continued to finesse the cake. 

_That’s it? He was expecting to get yelled at!_

“I think it is ready,” the blonde took a step back to admire his handiwork. The cake looked delicious on the pristine white plate, each swirl of whipped cream topped with a strawberry. 

“Yeah,” Eiji breathed, “let us go.”

*** 

Like last time, Mrs. Coleman ushered them into her large eat-in kitchen and hurried off to grab drinks, cooing about their cake. However, unlike last time, her Halloween decorations were already set up. Eiji chuckled at Ash's tension over all the pumpkin decorations, there must have been at least ten in the kitchen alone. 

“Is it the black cats? I am afraid of them too, the superstition and all,” Mrs. Owens smiled to the both of them from across the table, she had already been visiting when they decided to stop by. “They are harmless though.”

“Yes.. the cats,” Ash nodded as if he was trying to convince himself. 

“Doesn’t this cake look delicious?” Mrs. Coleman came back to the table, three cups of tea in her hands. 

“Oh, yes Denise do you want me to get the plates?” 

“That would be lovely, you know where they are, the third cabinet past the stove.” 

After a couple of minutes, they were all sitting around the table, tea and cake in front of them. The curtains opened so the mid-afternoon sun could shine into the room. 

Eiji was delighted, he had wanted to try the cake since he saw the recipe last night. His eyes widened as he took a small bite of the sponge with the whipped cream and strawberry. It was good!  
    
“Boys this is great, you must give me the recipe,” Mrs. Coleman beamed. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Coleman. Eiji and I just made it this morning.”  _He had never heard Ash thank anyone so earnestly before._

“Do you two like to bake together, then?” Mrs. Owens asked between bites.  

“Yes when we have the time," he then tried changed the subject. "You have a lovely apartment Mrs. Coleman, the layout seems a little different from ours,” Ash smiled at the women, who actually seemed to swoon in response. 

“Oh dear, it’s nothing too special, just some things to make this place feel a little more like home,” she waved her hand and took a sip from her tea. 

“Are you from the city?”

“Leslie is, but I’m not,” Mrs. Coleman looked at her friend, "Mark and I moved here maybe six years ago. Had to downsize because our two oldest were off to college.” 

_Downsize?_

“Enough about us old ladies, we want to know about you two,” Mrs. Owens grinned as she took another bite of cake. 

“Yes, Eiji said you two met in a bar. Was it love at first sight for you, Ash?”

“Something like that,” Ash chuckled. “You could say I was fascinated because he knew so little of the culture.” 

 _Hey!_ The brunette puffed his cheeks, ready to retort. 

“He stuck with me no matter how hard I tried to push him away.” He paused, "and I thought I was okay being alone until I met him.”

“Oh that is so romantic,” Mrs. Owens sighed dreamily. 

Eiji could feel Ash’s gaze on him, but he didn’t dare to look over. His eyes fixed on the swirls in the wooden tabletop. 

“And Eiji,”

“Y-yes?” 

Mrs. Coleman laughed, “what do you like the most about Ash?”

“L-like?” his ears were ringing and thought were coming up like static. Keeping his eyes on the table, he said the first thing that came to mind. 

“Before I came here, I thought my life had lost its purpose,” he thought back to the accident, and how feared he could never go back to competing in pole vaulting. “But ever since I met Ash, he taught me how to fly again.”

Gripping his teacup and clenching his other fist in anticipation, he finally looked up to the women, who seemed to have tears in their eyes. 

“T-that is so beautiful,” Mrs. Owens dabbed at her eye with a napkin.  

He let out a gasp as he felt Ash take his clenched fist and intertwine their fingers on the table. His face felt like it was on fire as he looked over to the blond in shock. Was this a dream? 

“After saying that you must tell us the story,” Mrs. Coleman chuckled as she took the last sips of her tea. 

“I’m sorry, which story?” Ash looked genuinely confused. 

“The engagement story!” she beamed.

_Oh_

“Oh well, um Eiji do you want to tell it or should I?” the tender look Ash was giving him made Eiji want to melt into the floor. 

“I-I um well you know.. my English,” he laughed nervously, thankful that he could use his ethnicity as an excuse for once.

“Well, you always get so flustered whenever you tell it,” Ash chuckled as he rubbed the back of Eiji's palm with his thumb. The brunette felt like the room was spinning, he wasn't sure if he was going to scream at the top of his lungs or pass out.

“Wait, let me get the wine first!” 

“Oh Denise, it’s barely noon." Mrs. Owens shook her head at her friend. 

Mrs. Coleman quickly cleaned the empty plates and mugs, replacing them with wine glasses. 

"I don't think we should be giving these boys alcohol, Denise."

"Nonsense! Someone needs to teach them good drinking habits since Edward is always off working." Mrs. Coleman smiled as she uncorked the wine and started to fill the glasses. 

"Where is your father at now, Ash?" 

"He um is in.. Brazil at the moment," Eiji quickly interjected. 

"Of course with the election happening I bet there must be lots of stories to cover."  

"My dad does work very hard," Ash said halfheartedly, almost as if he was thinking of his real father. 

Using his free hand, he lifted the glass to his face to smell the wine before taking a sip. "White Bordeaux, a fantastic choice Mrs. Coleman. I am assuming it is French?" 

_How in the world does Ash know about wine?_

"Oh, Leslie, the boy knows his wine," Mrs. Coleman was beaming, "yes it is from a vineyard in the west of France."

"Enough about the wine, Denise. Let him tell the story," Mrs. Owens glared at her friend. Mrs. Coleman nodded, and they both turned to look at Ash expectantly. 

"Where do I even start," Ash laughed, a nervous tinge audible in his voice. "I wanted to do something really special since it was Eiji's first time in America." 

Both women were already enraptured by the story, waiting for more with bated breath. 

"I always noticed him admiring the skyline, so I booked one of the observation floors of the Empire State Building then took us up there to see the city." 

"Oh how wonderful, I do know they have those proposal packages-" 

"Goodness, Denise be quiet and let the boy speak." 

Ash smiled at the squabbling women and took a drink from his glass. Once they had calmed down, he continued, "It was really amazing, just the two of us and the huge windows with the city below. While Eiji was distracted looking out at the view, I got down beside him on one knee. When he looked over, I asked if he would marry me, and I was lucky that he said yes." Ash squeezed his hand, a small smile creeping onto his face.

Eiji felt his heart start to ache in his chest. He could imagine everything from that story actually happening, which made it even more painful.

"Oh Eiji, are you alright?" 

He brought his hand up to feel his face and found that his cheeks were wet, and realized that he had been crying. 

"I was very happy." _Why do I have to lie? Why does this have to be a lie_ , he thought despairingly

What happened next was even worse for his heart. Ash reached out and gently wiped the tears from his face. Eiji wanted to push him away, he wanted to keep convincing himself this was a lie, but it felt _so real_.

"It's okay to be emotional, dear. We were that way when we were newly engaged too," Mrs. Owens gave him a comforting look, a motherly gentleness in her gaze. 

"Yes sweetie have a drink of wine it will help you feel better." 

"Denise!" 

*** 

They stood in Mrs. Coleman's doorway exchanging their goodbyes. Ash's hand was on the small of his back. Eiji was gripping onto the now empty cake plate, and he felt like he was holding on for dear life. 

"Do come by again soon, boys. I promise to cook a pie just for both of you." 

"Thank you very much for having us, Mrs. Coleman. And we will be looking forward to that pie," Ash put on an award-winning smile then he led them down the hallway. Eiji could hear their neighbor's door close in the background. 

When they walked into their own apartment, Ash quickly withdrew his hand from Eiji's back and stretched, "I think I'll go call the guys to see if anything happened." 

"Yeah," the brunette replied half-heartedly, his body suddenly feeling cold at the loss of contact. He watched as Ash grabbed a few phones off the counter and went into the office, shutting the door behind him. 

Eiji stood in the entryway, hands still holding onto the plate, cursing himself for wishing that his friend's acting was real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the new OP and ED! The ending, in particular, makes my bookworm heart very happy, since it is alluding to the famous passage from Catcher in the Rye!


	5. Part Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this really a chapter of this fic if Eiji doesn't try to cook something for Ash?

Mrs. Coleman kept her promise a few days later, showing up bright and early with a freshly baked apple pie soon after Ash had left.   
  
"Good morning, dear," she beamed as she handed over the pie. "Is Ash here, it was so lovely to meet him the other day. You two make such an adorable couple. It reminds me of Mark and I when we first started seeing each other..."    
  
She rambled on, Eiji nodding now and then to make it seem like he was listening.   
  
"Would love to stay and chat, but I have to get the kids to school."   
  
"Thank you again for the pie, Mrs. Coleman."  
  
It seemed like mere seconds between her ringing the doorbell and leaving him standing in the entryway, the pie tin still warm in his hands.   
  
His surveillance job was as dull as usual. In a few hours, only a couple of people had come and gone from Goldzine's building. He took the camera off the tripod and turned the dial to look at the photos. The apartment felt lonelier than ever, the only sound coming from him flipping through the images.   
  
With a sigh, he put down the camera and wandered into the kitchen. The smell of the pie was definitely tempting, but he promised himself he would wait for Ash.   
  
After sitting on the stool for the island, he then reached for the tablet. The apple pie aroma must have been influencing his senses because his internet browsing quickly turned to the topic of food. It seemed like every white woman in New York had a food blog, with their own unique pie recipe. What caught his attention, however, was the garnish on almost every pie. In nearly every article it mentioned whipped cream of some kind, which, as Eiji learned, was simple to make.   
  
They didn’t have cream or a mixer, which required a trip to the supermarket. Eiji grimaced and weighed his options, on the one hand, he could risk running into the housewives at the supermarket, or he could sit here and risk eating the entire pie before Ash came back.   
  
“The supermarket it is,” he mumbled to himself as he grabbed his keys.  
  
***  
  
Eiji was surprised at the variety of creams, both processed and un-whipped. They even had a pumpkin flavor; he snickered to himself as he imagined Ash’s disgusted expression.  
  
“Eiji, how are you?”   
  
He turned to see Mrs. Owens smiling at him, a shopping basket in one hand and a yoga mat in the other.   
  
“Hello, Mrs. Owens. I was just looking for some cream for whipped cream.”   
  
“Oh, how lovely! Homemade whipped cream is always a delight, may I recommend this one?” She maneuvered the yoga mat to the crook in her arm so she could point at a carton.   
  
“I always use this one when I cook for Chad,” she grinned, “you know the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”  
  
“Um, it is?” _What an odd saying._  
  
Mrs. Owens chuckled, “I don’t think you have to worry about that, dear. Ash is clearly crazy in love with you."  
  
“Yeah,” he responded half-heartedly.  
  
“Oh that doesn’t sound good, did something happen between you two?”    
  
“Ah no-“ Eiji scrambled. “I just want it to turn out special, for him, I mean.”  
  
“Well if you want it to make it extra special, just add a pinch of cinnamon. It’s my secret technique,” she winked. Her watch started to buzz, “I am going to be late for yoga if I don’t get these groceries quickly. I’ll be seeing you, dear.” She waved to him as she hurried down one of the aisles and out of sight.   
  
Grabbing the cream from off the shelf, he turned it around to check the price.   
  
"Fifteen dollars??” Eiji gasped. It was almost as much as the hand mixer he had chosen. However, Mrs. Owens did recommend it, and she seemed to know what she was saying. _It is worth it if Ash likes it_ , he thought to himself, as he put the cream into his basket. He then turned to find some cinnamon.  
  
***  
  
Back in the apartment, Eiji spread out his haul on the counter. He then went to grab a glass bowl from the cabinet. _How hard could this be?_  
  
After he filled the bowl with cream, he paused, “when do I put in the cinnamon?” The brunette stared at the small spice jar, wishing it could answer him. Presumably, it would be before he mixed the cream, so he decided to go with that.   
  
The next hurdle was the mixer. Eiji had never used an electronic mixer before, only a whisk. There were no helpful symbols on the device, just a dial, and some buttons. Hoping for the best, he put the mixer in the bowl and turned it on.   
  
He shrieked as the mixer blades turned on at full speed, spraying cream out of the bowl in every direction. Jerking the mixer up only made things worse, the cream splattering across the cabinets and all over his face and clothes. As soon as he pulled the cord out of the wall, the blades finally stopped spinning.   
  
Eiji felt his heart drop; he looked around the kitchen to see cream everywhere, from the cabinets to the floor. The only thing that got saved from the mess was the pie wrapped tightly in foil. He felt tears stinging in the back of his eyes. _Why couldn’t he do anything right? Ash was going to hate him for ruining the apartment._  
  
If things couldn’t get any worse, he heard the front door open.   
  
Ash walked around the corner to the kitchen and froze. “What happened here?”   
  
It felt like a rock was stuck in his throat. “I-uh tried to make whipped cream,” he replied timidly, too scared to meet the blond's gaze.  
  
If there was one thing Eiji wasn’t expecting, it was for Ash to start laughing. “You didn’t do a good job, it’s everywhere.”  
  
He felt his cheeks burning with shame, “I’m sorry I did not mean to-“  
  
“Why are you apologizing?”   
  
Gathering the strength to meet Ash’s gaze, the brunette was shocked to not find anger in his green eyes. Instead, he looked quite amused.   
  
Ash walked over to grab a towel and ran it under the sink, letting the water soak the fabric. “You even got it all over yourself,” he leaned in to gently wipe the cream off of Eiji’s cheek.   
  
“I..” he started, his heart pounding so loudly in his ears that he was scared his friend could hear it.  
  
“Eiji you realize this thing was on full power, right?” Ash held up the mixer, “can you not even read the directions on the box?”  
  
“I have never used an electric mixer before,” Eiji responded defensively.   
  
The blond sighed as he brought the mixer to the sink, cleaning off the blades and wiping them dry with a towel. He grabbed the leftover cream and poured more into the bowl. He plugged the mixer in and put it in Eiji’s hands. “You turn it to here,” he pointed to a spot next to the dial.   
  
Very slowly, the brunette put the mixer in the cream and turned on the machine as Ash had instructed. He flinched as the blades began to turn, but their rotation was significantly slower than before.   
  
They stood in silence as Eiji whipped the cream and Ash wiped the rest of the counter with the damp towel.  
  
“I think it is done,” he stood triumphantly over his creation, adding a small amount of cinnamon on top. It looked just like the pictures online.   
  
The blond peeked over his shoulder and dipped his finger in the cream to taste it.   
  
“It's good,” he nodded.   
  
Eiji smiled, even though he made a mess of the kitchen, Ash thought the cream tasted good.  
  
***  
  
Once they both finished cleaning the kitchen and Eiji had changed into fresh clothes, he made them some coffee. _Cooking was so exhausting, after all._  
  
“What made you decide to make whipped cream?” Ash asked as he typed on one of his phones.   
  
“Oh, Mrs. Coleman brought us a pie.”  
  
He stopped typing to look at him through his glasses, “that was quick.”  
  
“It is?”   
  
The blond hummed as he returned to his phone, periodically sipping on his coffee.   
  
“Do you want me to warm it?”   
  
“Can you warm it without burning the apartment down,” Ash smirked.   
  
“ _Yes_  I can,” Eiji huffed as he walked to put the pie in the oven and set the timer.   
  
“Your previous attempts in the kitchen haven't been so successful,” the blond teased.   
  
“I am still learning your strange American ways of cooking, be happy I did not buy you the pumpkin flavor whipped cream from the shop.”   
  
_That quickly shut him up_ , Eiji laughed at his friend’s nervous expression.

However, he did stand near the oven for the two minutes, just in case. When he pulled the pie out, it was just the right temperature. Grabbing a knife, he cut two pieces and spooned some of the whipped cream on the side of the plates.   
  
As he set the plates down, Ash grimaced, “Eiji, this piece is huge I can’t eat all of this.”   
  
“Mrs. Coleman worked very hard on this pie, Ash,” he shot the other boy a look, “I think you can do her the kindness of at least eating some of it.”   
  
“I guess,” he sighed as he spooned the cream onto the pie.   
  
Eiji’s eyes widened as he took a bite of both the cream and the pie, it was delicious!  
  
“I’m surprised she brought this over so quickly, I think she has taken a liking to you,” the blond laughed as he typed on the phone.   
  
“Me? She would not stop talking about _you_ when she brought this over."  
  
“Yeah, but I think they have accepted you.”  
  
“Accepted me?”   
  
Ash put down his phone to look over, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “yeah as a fellow housewife.”  
  
“Excuse me? I am not a housewife,” Eiji retorted.   
  
“Mm I would beg to differ,” he took a sip of coffee, “you are the one who said we were engaged. Also, you are always cooking... well _trying_ to cook."   
   
“You take that back, Ash.”   
  
“What are you going to do about it, honey,” he challenged with a smug smile on his face.   
  
“Y-you are going to regret saying that,” Eiji's face felt like it was on fire, anger burning in his chest.  
  
“I’m _so_ scared,” the blond replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.  
  
Eiji felt a tinge of annoyance, he has done so much for Ash, yet the other boy sits there and insults him. Not wanting to be belittled any further, the brunette stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door behind him. He threw himself on the bed and covered his face with the pillow, in an attempt to stop the tears from coming.  
  
“Hope you are ready for Halloween everyone.” he heard the news anchor's voice through the wall. He must have forgotten to turn the television off.  
  
“With only a few days left, you still have time to get your spooky decorations and candy..”   
  
_Decorations?_ He sat up quickly, a plan beginning to form in his mind. Eiji couldn’t help but grin,Ash was going to get some serious payback.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The episode today was actually hilarious (never thought I would say that about BF) it just solidifies my love for Ash. 
> 
> Also, this is the second to last chapter, the Halloween party will be the last chapter, stay tuned :D


	6. Part Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy the last chapter and thank you for reading! All of your sweet comments always make my day :D

It turned out going behind Ash’s back was easier than Eiji thought. Pretending nothing was wrong was more difficult than sneaking one of the burner phones out of the dresser. Ash had eight different cell phones, and he _probably_ wouldn’t notice if one were missing.  
  
“Leaving with the disguise today?”   
  
“Of course. I need to go provide for my dear fiancé, after all,” Ash shot him a sly smile. No one would guess he was a gang leader with that leather coat or sweater vest.   
  
Eiji huffed and bit back a remark, instead choosing to smile and wave to the blond as he walked out the door.  
  
After waiting a few minutes, he pulled out the phone. Luckily some of the numbers on the phone had names assigned to them. Bones and Kong were close to the top of the list, so he decided to message both of them.  
  
_Need you at the apartment today_ , he typed to the two of them, hoping he sounded like Ash. The brunette let out a sigh of relief when they both quickly agreed to his request, saying they would be over later.   
  
With that out of the way, it was time to head down to the store. He grinned as he grabbed the keys and the debit card, his plan was going well so far.  
  
 ***  
  
Today was the first time he opted for a shopping cart instead of a basket; he needed _a lot_ of things for Ash tonight.   
  
He pushed the cart over to the large seasonal display in the center of the store. After taking a quick glimpse at the items, he threw things in the cart that were either pumpkin flavored or had a picture of a pumpkin on them, which happened to be nearly everything on display. He was quickly emptying the shelves as he grabbed everything from pumpkin flavored cereals to coffees. There were even marshmallows shaped like pumpkins.  
  
“Look Denise it’s Eiji, how are you, dear?”  
  
_Were these women always at this store?_ Eiji groaned and turned to see Mrs. Owens and Mrs. Coleman smiling at him.  
  
“I am alright,” he said curtly, he really didn’t have the time to chat today.   
  
“I didn’t know you liked fall items so much,” Mrs. Owens laughed.   
  
“Oh not for me, they are for Ash. He loves these.”  
  
“How sweet of you! I bet you must have waited for the big sale. They do this every Halloween you know, such great deals.”  
  
“Yes I am having a Halloween party tonight,” he nodded, “I heard about them on television.”   
  
“This is your first Halloween party?” Mrs. Coleman asked she sounded almost giddy.  
  
“We do not really celebrate this holiday in Japan-"  
  
“What are you going to dress up as, then? Costumes have always been my favorite part about Halloween.”  
  
“I agree with Leslie. When Mark and I were dating, I wore the skimpiest little outfits for him.”   
  
The two women laughed amongst each other for a moment, almost allowing Eiji a chance to escape.   
  
“Eiji you should wear a sexy cat outfit,” Mrs. Owens had a devilish glint in her eyes, “I think Ash would be very happy with that.”  
  
“Oh yes he could definitely pull it off, he has the figure and all.”   
  
“I-um really haven’t thought about it,” he let out a nervous laugh. _The whole point of this was to make Ash not happy._  
  
“I know, I can make you a pie for your party. You growing boys need to eat.”   
  
“Great idea, Denise! I will help too, what kind of pie would you like?”  
  
He didn’t hesitate for a second, “I know Ash would be really happy if you made a pumpkin pie.”  
  
“Well, dear, you will have to hand over some of the cans of pumpkin pie filling that you are hoarding.”  
  
“Oh I am sorry,” he laughed as he sheepishly handed the two women some cans from his cart.  
  
“Perfect, we will get out of your hair now. We will bring the pies over later,” Mrs. Owens smiled.  
  
“I will be looking forward to it!”  
  
The two women began chatting amongst themselves about their pie recipes as they walked away. Eiji let out a sigh once they were out of sight, he lost some valuable time talking with them. He left the cart to walk to the large crate filled with pumpkins of various sizes.    
  
As he went to grab one, he noticed the sign, which read _'please ask for employee assistance.’_ With a groan, he headed over to the nearest employee, a bored-looking high-school girl who had a spider web painted on her apron.   
  
“I-uh need assistance,” he began.   
  
“With what?” She blew a green bubble with her gum and popped it.  
  
“I want to buy the pumpkins.”  
  
“Which one,” she was chewing her gum loudly as she twirled a piece of her dyed hair. This employee’s demeanor was starting to get on his nerves.  
  
“No, you do not understand. I want all of them.”   
  
“You’re joking, right? There are like fifty of them in there.”   
  
“I am not joking. I want to buy all of them.” _What did this girl not understand?_  
  
“Alright have it your way, but you have to pay first,” she rolled her eyes and walked over to the cash register.   
  
“Americans are so rude,” he mumbled to himself as he brought the cart to the register. As the employee was ringing up all of the pumpkin grocery items, she shot him a look.   
  
“Do you have a pumpkin fetish or something,” she glared at him.   
  
_A what?!_  
  
“Ugh, never mind just insert your card when the machine beeps.”  
  
He looked down at the total; it was a couple hundred dollars. Humming in satisfaction, he put the debit card into the slot.   
  
“How are you going to get all these out of here, anyway?”   
  
“Do not worry. I will send some people soon to bring them up to my apartment.”   
  
 ***   
   
Soon after he returned to the apartment, he heard a few harsh knocks on the door.   
  
“How are you doing shrimpy?” Kong ruffled his hair.  
  
“Ash sent us,” Bones grinned, “you need help with something?”  
  
“Ah-yes I do need both of your help,” Eiji led both of the gang members into the apartment.   
  
“Sit on the couch, and I will make us some coffee, then I will explain,” he smiled as he went to turn on the machine. After wasting three of the plastic pods, he brought the mugs into the living area along with a small bowl of sugar.   
  
“Eiji, you are the best!” Bones exclaimed as he put a few teaspoons of sugar in his cup and took a giant sip.   
  
“No, no it is the least I can do,” he waved his hand as he took a seat next to the other two boys.   
  
“So what’s up?” Kong turned to him.   
  
“Well I was thinking tonight we should have a party, it is Halloween after all.”   
  
“I don’t think that is a good idea,” Bones frowned.  
  
“Nonsense, it’s going to be a surprise for Ash,” Eiji looked at the two boys with his best innocent expression, “will you not help me make it special for him?”  
  
“Hm, I dunno the boss doesn’t seem to be the type to like surprises-”  
  
“But he did say to do whatever Eiji wants to make him happy, right?” Bones interjected.   
  
“And this would make me very happy, please Kong,” the brunette pouted.   
  
“Argh fine what’s the harm in having a little party?”   
  
Both Eiji and Bones jumped up to give each other a high five.   
  
“I will need help from both of you, though. I only know a little about what happens at these parties.”   
  
“Well ‘m no expert, but I think you decorate and carve pumpkins while watching scary movies,” Bones nodded.   
  
“The Halloween parties I've been to always involve drinking and lame costumes,” Kong rolled his eyes.  
  
"Hm okay," Eiji nodded, “we may need a few more things from the store, but first I need you two to help bring up some pumpkins I brought from downstairs.”   
  
Walking over to the kitchen, he grabbed the receipt from off the counter and handed it to Kong. “Just tell them you are here to pick up these items, I will start setting up here.”   
  
“Sure thing,” they both nodded and started to head out the door.   
  
“The supermarket is on the ground floor to the right, and I will leave the door unlocked for you,” Eiji popped his head out the door and yelled to them down the hallway. Both boys waved back as they got into the elevator.   
  
***  
  
Eiji furrowed his brow as he concentrated on cutting bat shapes out from the purple cardboard paper. He had no idea bats were even associated with this holiday until he looked up Halloween symbols on his phone. Looking over at his stack, he had already cut around ten bats and spiders.   
  
Mrs. Coleman and Mrs. Owens had stopped by a few hours ago with the pies and a plastic tub full of their ‘backup’ decorations filled with movies, craft materials, and even some accessories. Luckily the container had everything they needed to decorate the apartment. They also brought a six-pack of cider, telling them to drink responsibly.  
  
“How is that black tarp coming along, Kong?” he looked up from sitting on the ground to see the other boy balancing dangerously on a chair holding the long black tarp against the wall.   
  
“Not sure how we are going to get this to stay up, shrimp.”   
  
“I saw some tacks in the box,” Bones chimed in, “I’ll go find them.”   
  
As the other two boys focused on getting the black tarp on the wall, Eiji began gathering his paper cutouts and letters to adhere to the wall. He counted all the letters to make sure he had enough.  
  
“Alright I think this is good,” Kong put the last tack in the wall, “are the letters ready to go up?”   
  
“Here you go,” Eiji handed the large paper letters and cutouts to the other boy.   
  
“I'm gonna need help with this spiderweb.” The brunette looked over to see Bones already tangled in the ‘spiderweb’ material. He chuckled as he helped pull the fabric away and began to drape it across the couch.   
  
“Hey-uh does this look alright?”  
  
They both turned to see the letters arranged in the middle of the black tarp. It spelled out H-A-P-P-Y-H-A-L-O-W-E-E-N. Eiji nodded, it looked right to him.   
  
“Yeah, that looks fine to me,” Bones nodded.   
  
“Cool we should start the jack o lanterns, we have a lot of pumpkins,” Kong chuckled.   
  
“What is that,” Eiji cocked his head to the side in confusion.   
  
“It’s when you carve a face or something out of the pumpkin and stick a light in it, then it becomes a jack o lantern,” Kong explained as he carried the largest gourd over to the kitchen sink, the other two trailing behind him.   
  
“First we gotta cut the top and open it then get the insides out.”   
  
Before Eiji had a chance to grab a knife from the drawer, Kong was already using his own pocket knife to slice the pumpkin open.   
  
“Then you get the innards out, give it to Bones to do.”   
  
“What why me,” Bones frowned.   
  
“Because it’s a dumb job, you love those,” Kong jeered.   
  
With a scowl, Bones took the pumpkin to the trash and started to pull the seeds out.   
  
“We will prepare all the pumpkins, and then Eiji can draw the faces on them,” Kong gave him a fond look.   
  
“Really? I am looking forward to it,” the brunette grinned. 

***  
  
After a few hours of preparations, the apartment was looking perfect for Halloween. The jack o lanterns were placed all over the apartment, as Eiji had instructed, and there were a few plastic pumpkins by the television and kitchen.   
  
“Where’s your costume, Eiji,” Kong asked from his position of lounging on the couch.   
  
“Oh I know, he should wear one of those sexy animal ones, I bet Ash would lo-“ Bones was interrupted by Kong jabbing him in the ribs. “I think I saw some stuff in the boxes those women brought over,” Kong smiled apologetically.   
  
“Alright I will look,” he replied as he bent down over the box. It was starting to get dark, making it harder to find things. He pulled out a few pieces, one of them being a long hat with another matching piece of fabric. He checked the tag on the hat which read, _'witch costume._ ’ Eiji chuckled as he put the hat on his head and tied the small cape around his shoulders; it was perfect.    
  
“Look I am a witch,” he grinned at the other boys, “I have never dressed up as anything before.”   
  
“Wow, you are missing out, man.”   
  
“Don’t worry I found some for you too,” he held up the pieces he found.  
  
“I wanna be the werewolf,” Bones grabbed the ears and tail, “You can be Frankenstein, Kong."  
  
Eiji had no idea what a Frankenstein was, but Kong seemed very enthusiastic about his costume. He checked the clock on the wall, it was nearly nine, meaning Ash might come home soon.   
  
The three boys sat on the couch and chatted amongst each other until the doorbell rang. _Doorbell? Maybe Ash forgot his keys?_  
  
Nevertheless, he ran up to the door and threw it open, ready to surprise Ash. However, Ash was not standing there; it seemed like no one was until he looked down.   
  
“Trick or treat!” three younger children cried in unison.   
  
“Trick or treat?” Eiji repeated, he had no clue what these kids were saying.   
  
“You gotta give them some candy, Eiji,” Bones appeared at his side.   
  
“I-um can you wait one second?” he asked the kids. He frantically thought of what kids liked besides candy because he had none. Quickly running into the bedroom, he grabbed some money from Ash’s wallet.   
  
“Here you go,” he smiled as he put a five dollar bill in each of their bags.   
  
They began chatting excitedly amongst each other, yelled out a quick thanks, then turned to run down the hall.   
  
“D-did you just give those kids cash for Halloween?”   
  
“I do not have any candy,” the brunette scratched his cheek sheepishly as he shut the door.   
  
It was only a couple minutes later when Eiji heard keys turning the lock on the door. “That's gotta be Ash,” Bones lifted his can of cider, it was already half empty. Kong was on the other side of the couch sipping his slowly.   
  
Soon enough Ash did walk around the corner and let out a shriek. “Happy Halloween,” Bones, Kong, and Eiji chirped simultaneously.   
  
“W-what is this?”   
  
Grabbing a pumpkin, Eiji went over to the blond and smiled, “it’s a Halloween party I did just for you.”  
  
“N-no you stay back with that thing,” Ash tried to push him away. Pushing the pumpkin closer to his friend's face, Eiji grinned, “Everyone pitched in to help, even the neighbors made us food.”   
  
“We must have done a good job decorating he genuinely looks spooked,” Bones laughed.   
  
“What the hell is this is where you two have been all day? I’ve been looking everywhere-“   
  
“Ash today is Halloween it is time for fun,” Eiji gently chided him.   
  
“Yeah, boss, you have been working so hard we thought you deserved a break.”  
  
To Eiji’s delight, the blond seemed to be visibly fuming as he led him over to the couch.   
  
“I know! I will get us all some pie,” he clapped his hands together.  
  
“Yes ’m starving,” Bones groaned.    
  
The brunette cut the pie into four pieces and placed them on the orange plastic Halloween plates. He handed two plates to Bones and Kong then sat down next to Ash, who seemed to be becoming more and more uncomfortable with each passing second.   
  
While the three of them ate their pie slices, the blond stared suspiciously at his plate.   
  
“What is the matter, Ash,” Eiji looked over at his friend.   
  
“Not hungry I just ate,” he shrugged back.   
  
“Oh, but Mrs. Owens made this pie for us,” Eiji pouted, “how about if I feed to you, then?”   
  
“N-no way,” Ash spluttered and pushed the pie plate away. “Don’t you have anything else to do at this party.”   
  
“Those ladies brought over some movies,” Kong said with a mouth full of pie.   
  
“Thank god, a scary movie sounds good right about now,” Ash sighed and leaned back into the couch cushions.    
  
“I picked one out, it looked so cute with the little cartoon characters on it,” Eiji held up the Peanut’s DVD.   
  
“There is no way in hell I am watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”   
  
“B-but Ash, my English is no good. I cannot understand these other movies,” he pouted.  
  
“Obviously because you idiots can’t even spell Halloween correctly,” the blond groaned as Eiji happily slid the DVD into the player.  
  
Clearly, Ash was not _‘fine’_ at all during the film. His eyes were wide, and he flinched every time a pumpkin was on screen. The jack o lanterns began to illuminate the walls, now that is was fully dark, and that had Ash almost shaking. He gripped onto the hem of Eiji’s sweater and whispered, “You don’t think the great pumpkin is real, right?”   
  
Eiji’s heart did a flip at the sight, Ash's green eyes looked fearful as the blond tightened his grip on his friend's sweater. His vulnerable expression made all of Eiji’s prior frustrations melt away, and he longed to take the blond into his arms.   
  
“Ash, you need to wait until the end of the movie to see,” he smiled at his friend.   
  
By the time the movie ended, the loudest noises in the room were Bone's and Kong’s snores. They were curled up on the other couch. The brunette grabbed a blanket and draped it over the duo. While he was up, he grabbed two more ciders and handed one to Ash.   
  
The blond cracked the can open and took a long sip, “did you have them bring all this stuff up here?”   
  
Eiji laughed as he looked at the sleeping gang members, “yes they seem exhausted from it.”   
  
A few minutes of silence passed between the two of them as they drank their ciders.   
  
“I’m sorry for all the stuff I did at Mrs. Coleman's place... I never asked if it was okay to touch you,” Ash said quietly.   
  
“N-no it’s okay,” Eiji quickly stood up, “I am sorry I said we were engaged.. it was all my fault.”   
  
Ash looked up to meet Eiji’s gaze; there was an intensity in his green eyes. “Do you have a girlfriend back in Japan?”   
  
He almost spits out his cider at the question, _where was this coming from?_  
  
“I-uh do not have one,” he replied, feeling more than a little flustered.   
  
There was another long stretch of silence like Ash was mulling over the words he was about to say. Eiji wondered if he was starting to get tipsy, his can of cider looked almost empty.   
  
“I think anyone would be happy to be your fiancé, Eiji.”   
  
_What? Did Ash really say that?_  
  
“Even though you are clumsy and have the vocabulary of a middle schooler,” he laughed, which instantly killed the mood _again_.   
  
“Be quiet, Ash,” he glanced at the clock on the wall and noticed it was well past 1 am, “you should sleep.”    
  
“Mm yeah maybe I should,” after pushing a pumpkin out of sight, he grabbed a blanket and curled up with a pillow on the couch. Within minutes his breathing began to even out. Eiji sighed as he got up to collect the empty plates and cider cans. When he returned to the living room, the blond had sprawled out across the couch. With a sigh, he gently pulled off the other boy’s glasses and tugged the blanket, so it covered more of his body.   
  
He leaned down and stared at Ash’s sleeping face, which was illuminated by the moonlight and the soft candlelight from the carved pumpkins. This was the only time he looked peaceful, his breathing was even instead of labored. Strands of blond hair fell onto his face, and Eiji pushed them behind one of his ears. “Silly Ash, even if anyone would be happy to be my fiancé, I would still want it to be you.”   
  
His eyelids suddenly felt very heavy, so he decided to go rest on the chair.   
  
Hours had passed, and he must have fallen asleep. As he stirred, he noticed he was wrapped in the blanket that Ash was using. He could hear someone moving around, but his eyelids still felt too heavy to open.   
  
“I wish it could be me, too.” Eiji heard Ash whisper in his ear and felt him kiss his temple. For the first time in a while, Eiji felt warm and safe. He fell back asleep quickly, breathing in Ash’s scent which lingered on the blanket.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for more BF works in the near future! My tumblr is still [ queeensgrove ](http://queensgrove.tumblr.com/) if anyone wants to fangirl over Banana Fish with me!


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